Sign holding device



March 8, 3 38, C PFAFF, JR. 2,110,555

SIGN HOLDING DEVICE Filed June 15, 1937 ATTORNEY Patented Mar. 8, 1938 Y Ui'i stares 2,110,555

SIGN HOLDING DEVICE Henry C. Yfafi, Jr., East Orange, N. .l'. Appiication June 15, 1937, Serial nof-iiazts 2 Claims. (01. 40-445) This invention relates to improvements in Fig. Z'iswaperspectiVe view of the two part street sign display devices and more particusign plate holding frame, embodying my inven larly to devices of the type described in U. S. tion, i

Letters Patent 1,968,219 issued to me on July Fig. 3 is a sectional view taken on line 3-3 5 21, 1934. of Fig. 1, and i 5 In the sign holding device of 'my said patent, Fig. 4is'a sectional view taken on line ia frame member is employed comprising a pair of Fig. 2; inthedirection indicated by the arrow.' of substantially U-shaped internally channelled Referring to the drawing, in Fig. l is shown sections, each section having at the free ends of a signplate holding frame, comprising two U- the legs thereof semi-cylindrical bosses, so that shaped partsfi, l identical in size and shape so 10 when the sections are assembled together said that they can be readily interchanged. Each semi-cylindrical bosses cooperate to form cylinpart has an internal channel 8 to receive and drical bosses, and clamping means surrounding support a sign plate 9 which are generally covered said bosses to hold the sections together. With baked or porcelain enamel. Adjacent the These frame members are used to support free ends of the legs of the parts 6 and l and 15 metal sign plates which are generally covered connecting the internal channels 8 thereof is a with baked or porcelain enamel, and while the connecting brace or strip It which may be of frame disclosed in my said patent constitutes a any desired configuration, being preferably, as considerable advance in the art, my present 111- shown in Fig. 2, of rectangular cross section and vention comprises a further important improveof such dimensions. that, as shown in dotted lines; 20 ment thereon. in Fig. 4, the sign plates 9 may be positioned on In making the frame disclosed in my patent each side of the connecting strip it within the 1 a gasket of fiber or lead is ordinarily provided channel 8.

within the frame channel to assist in holding the The width of the channel 8 of the frame parts sign plates in position. In the. casting of the is greater than the width of the plates 9 to be 25 frame warpage frequently occurs and misalignpositioned therein, so that by making the conment of the legs of the frames frequently occurs necting strip W of a. predetermined Width the during the cooling of the casting. said plates may be snugly but firmly secured It is an object of my invention to provide a within the channel, thus providing only sufficient 3 frame of the character described which is prospace to provide a sliding fit for the plates 9. vided with means for guiding the sign plates and The necessity for a gasket, required heretofore, for holding them in spaced position within the is thereby eliminated.

channels of the frame without the use of a gasket. I have found, in practice, that the frame parts A further object of my invention is to provide it and i may be cast with the connecting strip a sign holding device of inherently stable con- Hi forming an integral part of the casing; this 5 Struction 80 designed s to p ev t Warpage in construction provides the parts 6 and l with inthe casting of the frames and to prevent the mis herent stability and practically eliminates any alignment of the legs of the frames during the danger of the distortion of said parts during the Operation of a cooling of the casting. The danger of misalign- A further object of my invention is to provide ment of the ends of the parts is also obviated. 40 a frame of the character described so designed The connecting strip it further prevents the free as to facilitate the assembly of the sign device. ends of the parts 6 and I from being compressed A further object of my invention is to provide inwardly with the resultant danger of breaking the frame with means to prevent the distortion and chipping the plates 9 therein. 5 of the frame during the assembly of the sign The sign holding device of the character dedev ce, he by obviating e a r. scribed herein is used to designate street inter- These and other advantageous objects which sections and the like and is subjected to inclem- Will late! pp are accomplished y e simple ent Weather and climatic conditions. The con- Emd practifial Construction a d arrangement of struction described herein has been found to parts hereinafter described and exhibited in the provide an aligned, rugged frame which will not 50 mp n n r mi p t hereof, and become distorted in use. The construction dein which: scribed also precludes the danger of excessive Fig. 1 is an elevational View of the device when expansion and contraction of the frame due to used to indicate two intersecting streets, parts climatic conditions. being broken away for the sake of clarity, Each of the parts 6 and l is substantially U- 55 rotated to draw the parts firmly together. Up- V shaped and has on opposite sides semi-cylindrical bosses H and I2 so that when the frame is assembled, the bosses fit together to provide cylindrical bosses as shown in Figs. 1 and 3. An external rib l3 preferably triangular in cross sec tion, as shown in Fig. 2 extends around the periphery of the frame.

Passing through the bosses II and I2 is a rod H, (see Fig. 3) which is preferably provided with a cap- I 5 integral therewith or threadedly secured thereto, said cap having opposing triangular grooves i6 adapted to fit over the rib l3 of the frame, the internal diameter of the cap 15 being greater than the diameter of the cylindrical boss formed by the bosses H and I2. The cap is usually provided with an integral ornament H.

When for example two sign plates are used to designate two intersecting streets the top rib is of the upper frame is engaged by the cap [5, while the bottom rib on the upper frarne is engaged by opposing triangular grooves IS in a collar I9 which surrounds the bosses on'the lower side of the upper frame and on the upper side of the lower frame, (see Fig. l), the collar 19 having grooves Hi to also engage the upper rib of the lower frame. The lower rib 13 on the lower frame fits in grooves Zl ina collar 22 integral with a two-part cap 23 which fits over the top of and is clamped. by suitable means'to a cylindrical supporting post 24. The lower end of the rod H5 is preferably threaded and passes through an aperture in cap "23.

In assembling the device, cap 15 is fittedover the bosses II of the upper frame, the rod M passing through the bosses H and between the sign plates 9 which are bowed or spaced at the center by thestrips H] to receive the rod 14, and the collar 13 is then slipped over the rod 14 and into position over the bosses on the underside of the upper frame; the lower frame members are then placed in position with the upper bosses il thereon surrounded by collar 19.

The cap 23 is then positioned over the lower bosses 12 of the lower .frame after which a 'nut 25 is threaded on the end of the rod 1'4 and 'I have provided a sign holding device of simple structure requiring no nuts or bolts, and which can be readily assembled by a single unskilled workman. The parts are fitted together so that allowance can be made for limited expansion and contraction due to changing weather.

The foregoing disclosure is to be regarded as descriptive and illustrative only, and not as restrictive or limitative of the invention, of which obviously embodiments may be constructed, in-

cluding many modifications, without departing vfrom the general scope herein indicatedand de- Inoted in the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new'and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is:

1. In a sign holding device, a frame member comprising a pair of substantially U-shaped internally channelled sections, each section having bosses at the free ends of the legs thereof,

'- means surrounding said bosses to hold the sections together, and members connecting the legs of each section adjacent the bosses, said members being positioned on the longitudinal center lines of said sections.

'2. In a sign holding device, a frame member comprising a pair of substantially U-shabed internally channelled sections, each section hav-- ing bosses at the free ends of the legs thereof, cylindrical collars surrounding said bosses to hold sections together, and members connecting the legs of each section'adjacent the free ends thereof, said members being positioned on the longitudinal center'lines of said sections.

' HENRY C. PFAFF, JR. 

